Collapsible beverage container holder

ABSTRACT

A beverage container holder constructed of flexible metal foil.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to holders for receiving beverage containers.

2. Description of the Prior Art

In modern day society beverages in individual cans and bottles are popular for human consumption. A great majority of these beverages are served chilled. When a glass or plastic beverage container is a exposed to ambient temperatures condensation often forms on the exterior of the container leading to collection of moisture and exposure thereof to the user's hands and sometimes dropping onto the person's clothing. Also, direct contact with the chilled container generates some degree of discomfort and accelerates warming of the chilled beverage. Thus, many different styles and designs of insulated for insulated beverage container holders. Many of such have been proposed are rigid and, since they must conform to the present significant bulk and the expense of shipping and storage.

Foam holders are typically relatively thick walled and rigid so that they are expensive to manufacture and bulky to store. The thickness of these holders add to the outside diameter grasped by the user so that the sense of grasping the holder is dramatically different from grasping the container directly.

Wrap-around insulators have been utilized in a construction covered with a fabric material and having a fastener to allow the insulator to be removed and transferred from container to container. These devices can be expensive to manufacture and require some degree of dexterity to install and remove.

It has been proposed to construct a holders as corrugated like ribbed cylindrical insulator wall having vertical ventilation channels and a flexible bottom wall of film like material attached to the medial radially inner surface thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is characterized by corrugated flexible cylindrical insulting sidewall to received a cylindrical container and lined on its interior with a flexible film rolled over at the top edge of the side wall and attached to the marginal interior edge thereof.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the features of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the holder embodying the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are top and bottom views, respectively of the holder shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a detailed sectional view, in enlarged scale, taken from the ellipse 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view, in enlarged scale, taken along the line 5-5 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the holder collapsed; and

FIG. 7 is a scale sectional view, in enlarged scale, taken from the circle designated 7 in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With this current day of popularity of individual beverage containers such as cups, bottles or cans, there is a need for a holder which will insulate the user's hand from the container and which also provides for a close-fit simulating the shape and size of the container itself. There is a demand in market for an inexpensive holder which is collapsible to a compact storage configuration and, which is easily erectable for receipt of a beverage container. It would also be beneficial if the holder provided a thermal barrier to protect the user's hands from hot and cold and which would also capture condensation which might drip from the exterior of the container.

To this end, our invention includes a strip of flexible cardboard paper fabricated to form a cylindrically shaped, thermal, peripheral wall 21 configured with a corrugated liner 23 and terminating in an upper edge 25 (FIGS. 5 and 7) and an open bottom. A generally cylindrically shaped highly flexible plastic film liner 29 lines the interior surface of the peripheral wall 21 throughout the vertical length thereof and is configured in its lower section with a downwardly projecting, loose, flexible cylindrical bag 31. Thus, the diametrically opposite sides of the peripheral wall 21 may be collapsed radially inwardly toward one another to the collapsed position shown in FIG. 6 for storage thereof.

In the preferred embodiment, the liner 29 projects upwardly and turns radially outwardly at 35 to overlie the edge 25 and then turns downwardly to form a skirt 37 adhered to the exterior surface of the peripheral wall 21 to provide for a moisture resistant seal and positive secure connection at the upper extremity of the peripheral wall. In practice the skirt may be adhered directly to the exterior surface and in some instances extends ¼^(th) to ½ way down the wall or further.

The holder device of the present invention may take numerous different forms and each embodiment includes a corrugated cardboard peripheral wall 21 which, in one preferred embodiment, may be configured with inner and outer concentric paper walls 39 and 41 sandwiching an intermediate corrugated wall 23 therebetween to form vertical ribs defining respective vertical channels 45 trapping ambient air therein to cooperate in forming a thermal barrier between such inner and outer paper walls.

In the preferred embodiment, one or the other or both of the paper walls 39 and 41 are formed at their diametrical opposite sides with vertically extending creases 51 defining weakened lines which act as somewhat as hinges to facilitate collapse of the opposite sides of the peripheral wall 21 toward one another as shown in FIG. 6.

The liner 29 is preferably constructed of a thin wall polychloride or polypropylene film 0.015 to 0.050 inches thick and is impervious to form a moisture resistant barrier on the interior surface of the peripheral wall and at the bottom of the holder. Preferably the peripheral wall and liner are constructed of biodegradable material. For the purposes of this closure, biodegradable material is that which degradation thereof results from action of naturally occurring microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi or algae. See STM 6400. The liner is preferably constructed of biodegradable plastic (See ASTM 1991) and may be non-stretchable or stretchable depending on the particular application. In some applications the entire holder is constructed from recyclable material.

The exemplary embodiment, incorporates a double-sided adhesive attachment ring 55 (FIG. 7) which circumscribes the upper extremity of the peripheral wall and includes adhesive surfaces 57 and 59 on the respective radially inner and outer surfaces thereof for adhering to the exterior surface of the peripheral wall and for anchoring the skirt 37 thereto.

In the preferred embodiment, the liner is adhered to the inner surface of the peripheral wall 21 throughout the upper portion, to about ⅜^(th) inch of the bottom edge and such wall to leave a free lower extremity to allow for the bag 31 to be folded up inside.

In one preferred embodiment the peripheral wall is constructed of paper cardboard about ⅛^(th) inch thick, an inside diameter of about 2½ inches and a vertical length of about 2½-3 inches.

In manufacture, the holder of the present invention may conveniently be fabricated from oversized sheets of cardboard coated on the respective one side with a plastic film liner 29 and cut to shape by die cutting to form individual blanks for respective holders. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the upper extremity of the holders will be sealed from moisture. The edge of the cardboard blanks, which will become the top edges of the respective holders, may have double sided adhesive strips adhered thereto with the liner film folded thereover so that when the blanks are erected to a cylindrical configuration and the edge of the blanks adhered as by hot melt glue or the like.

In use a supply of holders of the present invention may be conveniently collapsed to the position shown in FIG. 6 the bottom bag 31 conveniently collapsed upwardly into the lower extremity of the peripheral wall as depicted and the holders stacked in respective stacks for packaging, storage and transportation.

A stack of the flattened holders may then be displayed to the public purchasing, for instance, cups of hot coffee or cold soda and the like and individual ones of the holders taken from the stack at the time of purchase. By compressing inwardly on the opposite edges of the collapsed holders of the opposite side walls thereof will be deployed radially outwardly to cause the periphery to assume the configuration of an open top vertical cylinder for receipt of beverage containers.

A cylindrical beverage container 20 may be inserted into the open upper extremity of to be slid downwardly in the interior surface of the liner 29 to be received within the holder with the bottom bag 31 deployed receive the lower extremity of the container. It will be appreciated that the downwardly acting forces generated by the frictional dynamic contact of the beverage container with the liner will be resisted by the upper extremity of such liner which is configured to overlie the upper edge 25 and be secured to the outer periphery of the peripheral wall by the anchor ring 55 thus minimizing potential for separation of the liner and consequent leakage which may deteriorate the peripheral wall and/or result in leakage of any condensation from the beverage container downwardly and out the bottom of the peripheral wall.

As the user grasps the exterior surface of the relatively thin peripheral wall he or she will have the tactile sensation similar to that of grasping the beverage container directly. Furthermore, because the entire vertical length of the peripheral wall 21 is lined by the corrugated liner 23 throughout the length of the holder. This allows the relatively stagnant air in the channels 45 to provide a thermal barrier against the tendency of heat from a hot beverage to transfer radially outwardly from the beverage container to avoid discomfort to the user's hand. Similarly, with cold beverages, the efficient thermal barrier afforded by the peripheral wall to minimize the heat transfer from the user's hand to the beverage container and consequent unwanted warming the beverage itself. Also, any condensation on the outside of the container will tend to run down the surface of the container and collect in the bag.

When the beverage is consumed and the holder discarded it can find its way to a garbage dump where the biodegradable characteristics thereof will allow for degradation to minimize the contribution to the long term environmental impact from the discarded multiple holders.

From the foregoing it will be apparent the beverage holder device of the present invention is economical to manufacture, store and deploy while being effective in use and reliable in protecting the user against dropping of moisture condensed on from the beverage container and against the discomfort of the rapid rate of heat transfer from or to the container itself. 

1. A collapsible beverage container holder comprising: a flexible peripheral wall constructed of corrugated cardboard to form a generally cylindrical distended configuration and constructed with diametrical opposite sides to collapse diametrically toward one another to be juxtaposed in a collapsed position, the wall terminating in an upper edge; a thin wall flexible liner overlying the upper edge, lining the interior surface of the peripheral wall and formed with a bottom wall constructed to, when the peripheral wall is in the collapsed position, be collapsed upwardly therein.
 2. The collapsible holder of claim 1 that includes: an anchor ring about the upper edge; and wherein the liner is folded over the upper edge and anchored to the ring.
 3. The collapsible container of claim 2 wherein: the ring incorporates an adhesive layer; and the liner is adhered to the adhesive layer.
 4. The collapsible container of claim 1 wherein: the peripheral wall in constructed of paper.
 5. The collapsible holder of claim 1 wherein: the peripheral wall is constructed with diametrically oppositely disposed axial vertical creases.
 6. The collapsible holder of claim 1 wherein: the liner is constructed of a plastic film.
 7. The collapsible holder of claim 1 wherein: the peripheral wall includes a paper cover wall on the exterior thereof.
 8. The collapsible holder of claim 1 wherein: the peripheral wall includes a paper exterior wall lined on the radial inside with a corrugated intermediate wall.
 9. The collapsible holder of claim 1 wherein: the peripheral wall is constructed with paper inner and outer walls and a corrugated intermediate wall sandwiched therebetween.
 10. The collapsible holder of claim 1 wherein: the liner extends the full length of the peripheral wall.
 11. A collapsible beverage container holder comprising: a flexible corrugated cardboard peripheral wall distendable to a cylindrical configuration, formed in the opposite sides with weakening creases to define therebetween opposite sides to be collapsible radially inwardly toward one another to a flattened collapsed configuration, the wall terminating in an upper edge; an attachment ring at the upper edge; a thin walled liner folded over the upper edge and attached to the attachment ring, the liner lining the inner surface of the peripheral wall and formed at the bottom extremity with a bottom wall constructed to be , when the peripheral wall in collapsed, folded upwardly between the opposite sides
 12. The collapsible beverage container of claim 11 wherein: the liner is in the form of plastic film.
 13. A collapsible beverage container holder comprising: a peripheral wall constructed of corrugated cardboard with flexible inner and outer walls having a corrugated liner sandwiched therebetween and terminating in a top edge; and a film liner lining the interior surface of the peripheral wall and projecting above to the edge and turned radially outwardly and back downwardly to form a peripheral skirt; an adhesive fastener ring interposed between the skirt and outer surface of the peripheral wall carrying to the peripheral wall the liner being configured at its bottom extremity with a closed bag section.
 14. The beverage container set forth in claim 13 that includes: a fastener ring interposed between the skirt and exterior surface of the peripheral wall with adhesive layers on the opposite sides thereof.
 15. The holder in claim 13 wherein: the peripheral wall is biodegradable.
 16. The holder in claim 13 wherein: the liner is constructed of biodegradable material. 